Statement on RFK Jr Confirmation to HHS Secretary

Dr. Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, professor and director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment and the EaRTH Center at UCSF issued the following statement today upon Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services. We face an epidemic of chronic disease fueled by industrial polluters including the chemical, … Continue reading Statement on RFK Jr Confirmation to HHS Secretary

New Center to End Corporate Harm launches

Health-harming products including fossil fuels, plastics, petrochemicals, tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed foods are contributing to a rise in chronic disease Industries that produce health-harming products have waged a decades-long assault on science and regulations designed to protect health, ultimately rigging rules in their favor, say scientists behind a new Center to End Corporate Harm at … Continue reading New Center to End Corporate Harm launches

Microplastics may be leading to lung and colon cancers

A review of 3,000 studies also suggests these minute plastic air particles may be causing male and female infertility. Tires and degrading garbage shed tiny pieces of plastic into the air, creating a form of air pollution that UC San Francisco researchers suspect may be causing respiratory and other illnesses. A review of some 3,000 … Continue reading Microplastics may be leading to lung and colon cancers

Experts urge new administration to adopt guiding principles

To protect health, the Trump administration must cut ties to polluting industries and ensure scientific integrity in decision-making, scientists say. Chronic disease, including cancer, diabetes, and neurological disease, is on the rise, in part driven by exposures to health-harming chemicals from fossil fuels and plastics according to scientists from the UC San Francisco Program on … Continue reading Experts urge new administration to adopt guiding principles

Growing enthusiasm to address corporate influence

This past August, the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) held their 36th annual conference in Santiago, Chile. Framed by stunning views of the Andes and the haze of smog trapped by the city's thermal inversions, scientists from across the globe gathered to share their cutting-edge environmental health research. As a late-stage PhD student, I … Continue reading Growing enthusiasm to address corporate influence

Our values and mission won’t change; our strategies will

After the sobering results of last week's election, I'm reflecting about what this means for our work to promote a healthy and safe environment free of toxic chemicals. Voters clearly said they wanted change at all levels of government, including in our own Bay Area. While there will be much post-election analysis, our own polling … Continue reading Our values and mission won’t change; our strategies will

How will SCOTUS’ Chevron decision impact environmental health regulations?

In an era where science and law often collide, the June 28, 2024, Supreme Court decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo overturning Chevron deference marks a pivotal shift that could reshape environmental regulation as we know it. The longstanding Chevron decision established the principle that federal courts must defer to an agency’s reasonable interpretation … Continue reading How will SCOTUS’ Chevron decision impact environmental health regulations?